


Up the Waterspout

by Elizabeth (anghraine)



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Original Trilogy
Genre: Canon Compliant, Gen, Introspection, One Shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-10-28
Updated: 2012-10-28
Packaged: 2017-11-17 05:56:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 440
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/548339
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/anghraine/pseuds/Elizabeth
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Victory is boring.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Up the Waterspout

Palpatine was bored.

He enjoyed his power and he enjoyed retaining it, while his admirals and moffs fruitlessly schemed. He enjoyed Vader's grudging obedience. He enjoyed the Dark Side coursing through his veins and the pitiful efforts of the Rebellion. Yet his enjoyment had grown stale in the last two decades, as all serious opposition fled or died or fell into compliance. There was no challenge in any of it, no exercise for his genius or his strength in the Force.

Certainly he would never give up what he had gained—he would reign forever. Still—

Then the Rebels destroyed the Death Star, and Vader assured him that the pilot responsible was powerfully Force-sensitive. A Jedi? Yoda, he felt certain, was still alive, but he was no more likely to become a fighter pilot than Palpatine himself. Vader had killed Kenobi, severing the last tie to his former, weaker self—good. Who else?

When his spies brought him the pilot's name, he felt a flicker of interest for the first time in years. Palpatine really had thought it as likely as not that the child had died with its mother, though he would have said the same thing regardless. That final loss had been an invaluable one, binding the last of Vader's wavering loyalties to him. Still, his apprentice had grown sadly predictable in recent years. At the very least, it would be amusing to see how he responded to the sudden restoration of Amidala's child, Rebel or not.

Really, it would be all the more amusing because the boy was a Rebel. It was almost a pity that he wouldn't be able to see the look on Vader's face when he realized he had spawned the greatest threat to the Empire.

In the event, Vader simply suggested turning the boy to their side, rather than killing him. Either he had forgotten the Rule of Two—unlikely—or didn't care. Yes, that seemed more probable. The Rule had been instituted to prevent open warfare among the Sith, and Vader might very well believe that the boy would be disinclined to turn against his own kin. He might very well be right, if Skywalker much resembled his sire.

Well—Palpatine had never bowed to others' restrictions, except when it suited his own interest. If the boy proved loyal, he would have two Dark servants instead of one; simply using the Dark Side did not a Sith make, anyway. If Skywalker did not turn, he would of course die. And if he could not be trusted, then—

Yes. Then Vader would have to die.

At the very least, it would be entertaining.


End file.
